Elon Musk, renowned for his idiosyncratic leadership, passion for electric vehicles, tireless work ethic, and numerous other attributes, is also making headlines for his deep-rooted affection for gaming. However, did you know that Musk's fascination with games dates back to his childhood? Moreover, the billionaire entrepreneur even ventured into game development at the tender age of 13 and received payment for his efforts.
In a recently published biography authored by Walter Isaacson, Musk's profound fondness for gaming is extensively explored. The book delves into the past and reveals that when Musk was just 13 years old, he created a video game, which he subsequently sold to a magazine.
According to the biography, Musk embarked on a self-taught journey into programming, mastering languages like Pascal and Turbo C++. At the age of 13, he crafted a video game named "Blastar," which involved the player in a mission to destroy an alien space freighter carrying perilous hydrogen bombs and status beam machines. Musk successfully sold this video game to a magazine, receiving a payment of USD 500 for his creation. Impressively, the entrepreneurial spirit in the young Musk didn't stop there; he proceeded to sell two additional video games to the same magazine. One of these games bore a resemblance to Donkey Kong, a highly popular arcade game from the 1990s, while the other served as a simulator for roulette and blackjack.
In May of this year, Musk drew attention to his gaming pursuits by showcasing his character build for the popular open-world fantasy game "Elden Ring." Developed by FromSoftware Inc., "Elden Ring" gained immense popularity in 2022 and was hailed as one of the year's standout games. For seasoned players of the Souls series, known for their formidable challenges, "Elden Ring" represented a new and enticing gaming experience.
Musk proudly shared his character build on Twitter, reaching level 111 in the game. Nevertheless, some Souls games veterans criticized his build, deeming it inefficient. Yet, one thing remains evident—Musk's passion for gaming is undeniably strong.
Returning to his biography, as penned by Walter Isaacson, Musk's cousin Peter Rive is quoted as saying, "If you are playing with Elon, you play pretty much nonstop until finally you have to eat."
The book also unveils a fascinating anecdote from Musk's past. During a vacation trip, he ingeniously figured out a way to hack the games in a mall, enabling him and his cousins to play games for free, bypassing the need for coins.
As a teenager, Musk aspired to establish his own arcade and even formulated a plan to transform it into a profitable venture. However, a roadblock emerged when he and his cousins were required to obtain city permits to proceed. Since Musk couldn't enlist his father, Errol, to assist with the application, the idea sadly never came to fruition.
The biography also includes a quote from Musk's ex-girlfriend, Grimes, who recounted how Musk once stayed up until 5 in the morning playing Elden Ring after expressing his interest in purchasing Twitter.
Â
